Former student in wizard hat arrested for attacking TPUSA group at Texas university

Texas authorities have identified a man accused of attacking students at a Turning Point USA tent on the University of Texas at Tyler campus Tuesday in the latest attack on the conservative youth organization whose founder was assassinated last year.Smith County booking records identify the suspect Ciro Tomlian.Video of the incident shows a man wearing a cape and a round-brimmed hat as he threw an American flag on the ground and swung a cane at a group of people.He is a former student who was not enrolled at the school at the time of the attack, according to authorities.Tomlian faces two charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and another of assault causing bodily injury after allegedly striking TPUSA students with a cane.In the video, which shows the end of the encounter and Tomlian’s arrest by campus police, the suspect grabs an American flag, throws it over his shoulder, gives the students the middle finger and can be heard saying “Back the f–k off you fascist pieces of s–t.”A woman off-camera tells him to “stay away,” and he raises the cane before taking a checked swing in her direction.The man identified as Tomlian screams “back up!” again, and the woman tells someone else to “just back up.”Then a male voice, also off-camera, tells Tomlian, “No one’s scared of you.”That’s when he swings the cane again, apparently striking the speaker, before someone else runs over and grabs the cane.Police arrive moments later and place the suspect in handcuffs.

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Once cuffed, he appears to paint the incident as self-defense and says, “freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences.”“I apologize, officer,” he says as he’s led away.“I was backed into a corner.”In a statement, UT...